World’s largest plane takes off for the first time

This the largest plane in the world taking off in the Mojave desert in the United States. “It’s been dubbed the Stratolaunch. It’s got six engines, two fuselages and a wingspan wider than a football pitch.

The craft has been developed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who plans to strap rockets under the wings, fly to 35,000 and then release them.

The company says the idea is to lower the cost of spaceflight and make launching a satellite as easy as booking an airline flight. The Stratolaunch is still in development and is due to start operating in 2020.

The business also has plans to launch a small spaceplane capable of carrying a number of passengers yet to be determined.